Gingival blood flow.

In the oral cavity extensive vascular changes accompany progression of gingival inflammation or healing and remodeling of periodontal tissues. This study was designed to explore how the gingival capillary circulation might be influenced by mechanical stimuli; specifically, tooth brushing. Changes in blood flow subsequent to mechanical stimulus of brushing were measured by laser Doppler flowmetry at the midline, canine and premolar regions of maxillary and mandibular arches. Results showed that tooth brushing increased the blood flow in these regions by approximately 60 percent relative to the resting state. These changes, however, were shortlived. Fifteen minutes following this mechanical stimulus the capillary circulation returned back to within ten percent of baseline readings. We conjecture that frequently applied mechanical stimuli might aid in gingival remodeling, high tissue turnover and metabolic rate.